Thomas Lurz collects another gold medal in Cancun in 15K

PRESS RELEASE

N°29/2012

FINA OPEN WATER SWIMMING GRAND PRIX 2012

Lurz (GER) wins again in Cancun (MEX), Germany dominates

Lausanne (SUI), April 27, 2012 – After triumphing on April 24 in the race of the
FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup in Cancun (MEX), Germany’s Thomas
Lurz repeated the success in the 15km-effort counting for the FINA Open Water
Swimming Grand Prix on April 26. In the clear-crystal waters of Mexico, the third
stop of the Grand Prix this year, Lurz touched home in 2h59m55s51.

In a quite emotive race, attracting also many of the participants in the 10km circuit,
Brian Riyckeman (BEL, sixth in the shorter race) finished second in a time of
2h59m55s83. He was followed by Lurz’ compatriot Andreas Waschburger, who got
the bronze in 2h59m57s41. Less than three seconds separated the winner of the
15km race from the fifth ranked swimmer. The dominators of the first two legs of
the Grand Prix season, Julien Sauvage and Joanes Hedel, both from France, did
not race in Cancun.

In the women’s field, Germany also claimed two of the three medals at stake,
thanks to the silver of veteran Angela Maurer (3h13m14s54) and the bronze of
Nadine Reichert (3h15m45s56). The winner of the race was Jana Pechanova,
from Czech Republic, touching first in 3h13m14s21. For these three athletes,
Maurer had also been silver medallist in the 10km in Cancun two days earlier,
while Reichert was fifth and Pechanova seventh. It was however their first
successes in the Grand Prix circuit.

FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix 2012 calendar:
Race 1: January 22 in Rosario (ARG, 15km)
Race 2: January 29 in Santa Fe-Coronda (ARG, 57km)
Race 3: April 26 in Cancun (MEX, 15km)
Race 4: June 17 in Capri-Napoli (ITA, 36km)
Race 5: July 28 in Lac St-Jean (CAN, 32km)
Race 6: August 4 in Lac Magog (CAN, 34km)
Race 7: August 5 in Sabac (SRB, 19km)
Race 8: August 11 in Ohrid Lake (MKD, 33km)